Roy Keane continues to be linked with the managerial post at Celtic Park. That discussion is an interesting one, provided it focuses on his credentials and knowledge in the game. There will be varying opinions as to whether or not Roy Keane is an ideal candidate to rebuild Celtic, restore domestic success and push on in Europe. However, the comment that I can’t abide is the one that suggests Keane versus Gerrard would be great for Scottish football. Frankly, it’s very disrespectful chatter and is symptomatic of the way in which certain people look down on the game in Scotland, even from within the nation itself.
If Roy Keane is appointed then of course the Keane versus Gerrard dynamic is an additional aspect added into the mix and the media would be foolish not to point that out. However, it’s the suggestion that this issue is front and centre, that Scottish football needs the pair, and that Keane versus Gerrard is somehow bigger than Celtic versus theRangers.
Celtic Football Club is a global institution, which has the largest worldwide support of any club in Britain, outside of Manchester United and Liverpool. We have such a massive reach because of our Irish connection and the fact that millions of Irish people and their descendants are scattered all over the planet. Our unique identity, charitable roots and footballing achievements make us a name revered the world over: the first team from the UK to win the European Cup (doing so with 11 local players), winning two inaugural British Cup competitions (Empire Exhibition and Coronation Cup), completing an invincible treble, quadruple treble and nine league titles in a row, twice etc.
Celtic fans take unmatched numbers abroad for European games and have competed in multiple European finals, semi finals and knockout ties over the years. 10,000 supporters enjoyed victory in Rome last season over a team placed second in Serie A. Eight times as many fans went to Seville for the UEFA Cup Final in 2003. The world stood up when we beat Barcelona in 2012 with a full stadium display to celebrate 125 years of unbroken history. Paradise rocked as we beat Zenit in the Europa League last 32 first leg a couple of years ago. Not a celebrity in sight.
At Ibrox, 50,000 fans turn up every second week and at Celtic Park a further 10,000 do likewise. The Glasgow Derby is one of the most fierce in the world. It has been the subject of various documentaries, which explore the religious, political and football elements of it. For many people outside of Scotland, it is perhaps the only Scottish football fixture that they watch. Therefore, the rivalry and Celtic as a club itself does not require some celebrity soap opera between two great players of the English game. Yet it’s stated as some sort of mouthwatering prospect that would be great for us.
Roy Keane should be appointed, or not appointed, on the basis of whether or not he is the best man for the job at Celtic. Can he take us into European knockouts again? Will he be able to work with modern players? Does Keane enhance our chances of winning back the league title or qualifying for the Champions League? Those are the questions that need to be asked. Whether Keane versus Gerrard would be an intriguing soap opera for the media or football fans in England to discuss shouldn’t even enter the board’s psyche, and it won’t do either.
We are a huge footballing institution that deserves more respect than telling us we require some sort of Glasgow celebrity event. That would, and should, just be a co-incidental and additional aspect of the appointment – not the front and centre issue.
Celtic need a great football manager and Scottish football needs as many teams as possible performing to a high standard. That would be great for the game here rather than seeing former Liverpool and Manchester United captains manage two rivals for a couple of years. Celtic do not need to appoint Keane for the purpose of coming up against Gerrard. To suggest that is the case is as disrespectful as it is nauseating.
I couldn’t agree more. Celtic does not need the pantomime of Keane and Gerrard.